Minimum Wage by State in 2022

An important piece of knowledge for anyone in the workforce is minimum wage. This refers to the lowest amount that an employee can be paid for their labor. However, many states have different standards for pay, which can heavily impact workers. Throughout the years, minimum wage has started to increase as demanded by many in the United States. Overall, if employers want to find and keep good employees, it is extremely vital to ensure employees are paid a livable wage. In this blog post, we will be discussing various aspects of this policy. Furthermore, we will provide insight into the wages of each state.

The Value of Minimum Wage

As mentioned in the introduction, minimum wage is extremely valuable. Before this idea existed, employers could pay their workers little to nothing for hours of hard work. In addition, they were hardly given breaks. It was difficult to live this way, especially if they had a family at home.

Once the idea of a base pay was introduced, the lives of workers improved. It made the cost of living more bearable. However, as the economy and lifestyle costs fluctuate, it is important that money from a job follows. If employers offer the same pay without taking other factors into consideration, it could hurt their workers. If life gets more expensive, minimum wage should account for it.

How Often Does Minimum Wage Increase?

Since 2009, the federal minimum wage has remained the same amount at $7.25. Unfortunately, it does not appear that this will be changing anytime soon. Nevertheless, pay in some states have changed and continue to increase. Examples are California with $15 an hour and New Jersey at $13. While it is great that individual states have taken this initiative, most states remain the same. Without the support of the federal government, it is difficult to enforce an increase in base pay.. At the end of this blog, I will include a list of each state’s minimum wage for reference.

What Makes Minimum Wage Increase?

Minimum wage does not increase automatically. It is the responsibility of Congress to decide whether or not it is necessary to increase the pay of employees. Afterwards, the President has to sign the bill, which brings it into effect. For Congress to start the process, a couple of things must be taking place in the United States.

First, poverty levels have to be increasing noticeably. As the cost of renting an apartment or buying a home goes up, lower pay makes it difficult for people to afford a place to live. In order to keep individuals off the streets, the government may have to step in.

The second reason could be large numbers of workers are leaving their jobs due to wage issues. This problem could create mass amounts of unemployment, which could negatively impact the economy. There could be an influx of workers in a certain field, but hardly any in another. An increase in pay could open up more job opportunities. However, the government would need to step in to regulate and ensure the future of the workforce.

Minimum Wage of Each State in 2022

The Federal Minimum Wage in the United States is currently $7.25 per hour, according to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); however, several states have raised their pay higher than the federal standard. Below, you can see each state’s current minimum wage per hour.

1. Alabama – $7.25
2. Alaska – $10.34
3. Arizona – $12.80
4. Arkansas – $11.00
5. California – $14.00
6. Colorado – $12.56
7. Connecticut – $13.00
8. Delaware – $10.50
9. Florida – $10.00
10. Georgia – $7.25
11. Hawaii – $10.10
12. Idaho – $7.25
13. Illinois – $12.00
14. Indiana – $7.25
15. Iowa – $7.25
16. Kansas – $7.25
17. Kentucky – $7.25
18. Louisiana – $7.25
19. Maine – $12.75
20. Maryland – $12.50
21. Massachusetts – $14.25
22. Michigan – $9.87
23. Minnesota – $10.33
24. Mississippi – $7.25
25. Missouri – $11.15
26. Montana – $9.20
27. Nebraska – $9.00
28. Nevada – $10.50
29. New Hampshire – $7.25
30. New Jersey – $13.00
31. New Mexico – $11.50
32. New York – $13.20
33. North Carolina – $7.25
34. North Dakota – $7.25
35. Ohio – $9.30
36. Oklahoma – $7.25
37. Oregon – $13.50
38. Pennsylvania – $7.25
39. Rhode Island – $12.25
40. South Carolina – $7.25
41. South Dakota – $9.95
42. Tennessee – $7.25
43. Texas – $7.25
44. Utah – $7.25
45. Vermont – $12.55
46. Virginia – $11.00
47. Washington – $14.49
48. West Virginia – $8.75
49. Wisconsin – $7.25
50. Wyoming – $7.25

Summary

Minimum wage is an extremely important policy meant to help workers in the United States. Nonetheless, the amount of pay and cost of living varies across the country. Employers and employees should stay up to date on how minimum wage is changing each year. While it does not appear that the federal amount will increase anytime soon, each state continues to adjust depending on their situation.